Mechanical Devices Sourcebook 3rd ed mcgraw hil 2001 Episode 2 Part 8 pptx

This is the third edition of Mechanisms & Mechanical Devices Sourcebook, a well illus￾trated reference book containing a wide range of information on both classical and mod￾ern mechanisms and mechanical devices. This edition retains a large core of the con￾tents from both the first and second editions, (published in 1991 and 1996,

respectively), that has been supplemented by new and revised articles reflecting present

and future trends in mechanical engineering and machine design.

The new articles in this edition address topics that are covered regularly in mechani￾cal engineering and science magazines as well as being the subjects of technical papers

presented at engineering conferences. Among these new articles is an overview of

motion control systems, highlighting the influence of programmable computer and digi￾tal technology on those systems. Other articles discuss servomotors, actuators, sole￾noids, and feedback sensors—important electromechanical, and electronic components

used in motion control systems. Also included are articles on gearheads, single-axis

motion guides, and X-Y motion systems assembled from stock mechanical components.

Other articles in this edition describe commercially available 2D and 3D CAD (com￾puter-aided design) software and update previous articles on industrial robots and rapid

prototyping (RP) systems. Another article reviews recent research in MEMS (micro￾electromechanical systems) and recent spinoffs of that technology. All of these subjects

are continuing to influence the direction of mechanical engineering, and they are having

a profound impact on engineering education and practice.

Since the publication of the second edition, the term mechatronics has gained wider

acceptance as a word that identifies an ongoing trend in mechanical engineering—the

merging of mechanics, electronics, and computer science. Coined in Japan in the 1970s,

mechatronics describes the synergistic blend of technologies that has led to the creation

of many new functional and adaptable products that could not have been produced with

a purely mechanical approach. While there is no formal definition of mechatronics,

most mechanical engineers agree on its meaning.

The concept of mechatronics has been illustrated as a Venn diagram showing four

overlapping circles representing the fields of mechanics, electronics, computers, and

controls. Over the years, this convergence has spawned the more specialized disciplines

of electromechanics, computer-aided design, control electronics, and digital control sys￾tems, all considered to be within the purview of mechatronics. These specialties have, in

turn, fostered the creation of the even more focused technologies of system analysis,

transducers, simulation, and microcontrollers.

Some of the important consumer products that have been identified as resulting from

the practice of mechatronics are the computer hard-disk drive, the inkjet printer, the dig￾ital video disk (DVD) player, and the camcorder. Examination of these products reveals

that they are eclectic assemblies of different kinds of mechanical devices, motors, elec￾tronic circuits, and in some of them, optics.

The inclusion of such classical mechanical elements as gears, levers, clutches, cams,

leadscrews, springs, and motors in those advanced products is evidence that they still

perform valuable functions, making it quite likely that they will continue to be included

in the new and different products to be developed in this century.

A major attraction of the earlier editions of this book has been their cores of illustra￾tions and descriptions of basic mechanisms and mechanical devices, accompanied by

useful applications information. This material has been culled from a wide range of

books and magazines that were published during the last half century. In an era of rap￾idly changing technology, most of this hardware has retained its universal value. As a

result, this book has become recognized worldwide as a unique repository of historical

engineering drawings and data not available in other more formal books. These earlier

editions have served as a convenient technical reference and even as inspirational

"mind-joggers" for seasoned professional machine designers as well as learning aids for

engineering students.

Readers trying to arrive at new and different solutions for machine design problems

can thumb through these pages, study their many illustrations, and consider adapting

some of the successful mechanical inventions of the past to their new applications.

Thus, proven solutions from the past can be recycled to perform new duties in the pres￾ent. An old invention might be transferred without modification, or perhaps it could be

improved if made from newer materials by newer manufacturing methods. What is old

can be new again! For those unable to find instant solutions, this book contains a chap￾ter of tutorial text and formulas for the design of certain basic mechanisms from scratch.

It is assumed that the reader is familiar with the basics of mechanics gained from

formal education, practical experience, or both. This book is expected to be of most

value to practicing machine designers and mechanical engineers, but its contents should

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PREFACE

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